| title | Install SQL Server Management Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| description | Learn how to use the Visual Studio installer to install SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). | |
| author | erinstellato-ms | |
| ms.author | erinstellato | |
| ms.reviewer | randolphwest, mbarickman | |
| ms.date | 12/17/2025 | |
| ms.service | sql-server-management-studio | |
| ms.topic | how-to | |
| ms.collection |
|
SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is an integrated environment for managing any SQL infrastructure. Use SSMS to access, configure, manage, administer, and develop all components of your [!INCLUDE ssde-md].
This article describes how to install the latest version of SSMS.
[!div class="nextstepaction"] Download SQL Server Management Studio 22 installer
| Key information | Action required |
|---|---|
| SSMS 22 is installed with the Visual Studio Installer | The SSMS 22 installer link downloads a stub installer (vs_SSMS.exe) that opens Visual Studio Installer to install SSMS. There's no standalone MSI. |
| How to install SSMS | Download the SSMS 22 installer, run vs_SSMS.exe, pick any optional workloads/components, then select Install. |
| Use the Visual Studio Installer to update SSMS 22 | To update SSMS 22, follow the instructions in Update SQL Server Management Studio. |
| Offline or enterprise deployment | To create an offline layout for disconnected or managed installs, see Create an offline installation of SQL Server Management Studio. |
| Database Engine compatibility | SSMS 22 works with [!INCLUDE sssql14-md] and later versions. If you need to manage older versions, see the Release history. SSMS 22 also works with [!INCLUDE ssazure-sqldb], [!INCLUDE ssazuremi-md], [!INCLUDE ssazuresynapse-md], and [!INCLUDE fabric-sqldb]. |
The following guidance covers installation steps, updates, offline scenarios, and compatibility:
- Frequently asked questions: Quick answers to the most common SSMS questions.
- Release notes: What's new, what's changed, and what's improved.
- Release history: Install a specific version of SSMS.
- Command-line installation: Automate or script SSMS installation.
- System requirements: Check compatibility with your computer.
- Step-by-step walkthrough: Follow the rest of this article for a guided walkthrough.
Before you begin installing SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):
-
Check the system requirements. These requirements help you determine whether your computer supports [!INCLUDE ssms-22-md].
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Make sure that the user who performs the initial installation has administrator permissions on the machine. For more information, see User permissions and Visual Studio.
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Apply the latest Windows updates. These updates ensure that your computer has both the latest security updates and the required system components for SSMS.
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Restart. Restarting ensures that any pending installs or updates don't hinder your SSMS install.
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Free up space. Remove unneeded files and applications from your system drive by, for example, running the Disk Cleanup application.
You can install [!INCLUDE ssms-22-md] side-by-side with other versions. For more information, see Install SQL Server Management Studio versions side-by-side.
Decide which version of SSMS to install. The most common options are:
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The latest release of [!INCLUDE ssms-22-md] that is hosted on Microsoft servers. To install this version, select the following link, which downloads a stub installer, or bootstrapper, to your Downloads folder.
:::image type="icon" source="../includes/media/download.svg" border="false"::: Download the SQL Server Management Studio 22 installer (
vs_SSMS.exe) -
If you already have SQL Server Management Studio 22 installed, you can install another version alongside it.
You can download a bootstrapper or installer for a specific version from the Release history page and use it to install another version of SSMS.
If you downloaded a bootstrapper file, you can use it to install SSMS. You need administrator permissions. The bootstrapper installs the latest version of the Visual Studio Installer. The installer is a separate program that provides everything you need to both install and customize SSMS.
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From your Downloads folder, double-click the bootstrapper named
vs_SSMS.exeto start the installation. -
If you receive a User Account Control notice, choose Yes. The dialog box asks you to acknowledge the Microsoft Privacy Statement and Microsoft Software License Terms. Choose Continue.
The Visual Studio Installer opens. In addition to SQL Server Management Studio, you can also install any product that Visual Studio Installer's Available tab offers.
After you install the Visual Studio Installer, you can use it to customize your installation SQL Server Management Studio by selecting different options on the tabs of the installer. Here's how.
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Select the workload that you want in the Visual Studio Installer.
:::image type="content" source="media/install/ssms-installation-1.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the Visual Studio Installer window, showing workload selection." lightbox="media/install/ssms-installation-1.png":::
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Review the workload summaries to decide which workload supports the features you need. For example, choose the Hybrid and Migration workload to assess your upgrade readiness and migrate your data.
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After you choose the workloads that you want, select Install. Status screens appear that show the progress of your SSMS installation.
If you don't want to use the workloads feature to customize your SSMS installation, or you want to add more components, you can install or add individual components from the Individual components tab. Choose the components that you want, and then follow the prompts.
:::image type="content" source="media/install/ssms-installation-2.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the Visual Studio Installer window, showing component selection." lightbox="media/install/ssms-installation-2.png":::
By default, the installer program tries to match the language of the operating system when it runs for the first time. To install SSMS in a language of your choosing, choose the Language packs tab from the Visual Studio Installer, and then follow the prompts.
Another way that you can change the default language is by running the installer from the command line. For example, you can force the installer to run in English by using the following command:
vs_SSMS.exe --locale en-USThe installer remembers this setting when you run it again. The installer supports these language locales: zh-cn, zh-tw, cs-cz, en-us, es-es, fr-fr, de-de, it-it, ja-jp, ko-kr, pl-pl, pt-br, ru-ru, and tr-tr.
For more command-line examples, see Command-line parameter examples for SQL Server Management Studio installation.
You can reduce the installation footprint of SSMS on your system drive. For more information, see Select installation locations for SQL Server Management Studio.
You can select a different drive for SQL Server Management Studio or Download cache only when you first install SSMS. If you already installed it and want to change drives, you must uninstall SSMS and then reinstall it.
If SSMS or Visual Studio is already installed on your computer, you can't change the Shared components, tools, and SDKs path. It appears greyed out. This location is shared by all installations of SSMS and Visual Studio.
While you don't have to sign in, there are many advantages to doing so, such as synchronizing your settings across devices. See Sign in or switch user accounts in SQL Server Management Studio.
[!INCLUDE support]